Strengthening Open Government at Local and Municipal Levels

With the growing adoption of open government reforms around the world, countries are increasingly mainstreaming these principles at sub-national levels, as local governments (i.e. regional, provincial and municipal) have a direct impact on people’s daily lives. Sub-national governments are often more present, have a direct role in providing the everyday services that citizen’s use, and have a better understanding of public priorities and differences in needs. As a result, implementing reforms at the local level may offer multiple occasions to transform the relationship between the citizens and the state through meaningful opportunities for participation.

Local Government in Jordan:

• The OECD has worked closely with the Government of Jordan to pursue open government reforms at all levels of government and with all segments of society in the context of its decentralization reform.
• The OECD has published a review “Engaging Citizens’ in Jordan’s Local Government Needs Assessment Process” as well as a study on “Supporting Open Government Principles and Practices at the Local Level in Jordan.”
• The Municipalities of Karak and Salt joined the OGP Local Programme to scale the implementation of open government reforms at the subnational level.

Local Government in Lebanon:

• The OECD completed an Open Government Scan of Lebanon, which included an analysis of open government laws, institutions, and practices at both the national and municipal levels.
• The municipalities of Byblos and Shweir were selected for inclusion in the Scan as they have displayed considerable commitment to transparency, integrity, accountability, and stakeholder participation efforts.
• Based on the findings, the OECD developed a set of recommendations to align the current open government practices of these municipalities with OECD standards.

Local Government in Morocco:

• In November 2019, the OECD published an Open Government Review of the municipality of Salé which analyses its institutional, legal and policy framework and practices against the Recommendation of the Council of the OECD on Open Government. 
• The region of Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima joined the Open Government Partnership’s Local Initiative in October 2020.

Local Government in Tunisia:

• The OECD conducted an Open Government Review of the municipalities of La Marsa, Sayada and Sfax.
• The OECD has been supporting Tunisia to conceive, introduce and monitor citizen charters, which are voluntary public commitment made by local service providers to uphold standards of quality, transparency and accountability.
• The OECD provided guidance and technical assistance to support the development of citizen charters for several pilot public services at local level in Béja, Sousse, Tozeur, Sidi Bouzid, Tunis and Tataouine.

Learn more about our work on: Open Government

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• Capacity building event for subnational public officials on the role of open government at the local level, 20-22 December 2020, Madaba, Jordan

• National Dialogue Event, 15-16 December 2020, Amman, Jordan

• Capacity building event for subnational public officials on the role of open government at the local level, 29 November – 1 December 2020, Irbid, Jordan

• Capacity building event on the role of Decentralization in achieving Transparency, Accountability and Political Participation, 16-18 August 2020, Aqaba, Jordan

• Capacity building event on the role of Decentralization in achieving Transparency, Accountability and Political Participation, 9-11 August 2020, Amman, Jordan

• Capacity building event on the role of Decentralization in achieving Transparency, Accountability and Political Participation, 20 – 22 February 2020, Aqaba, Jordan

• Capacity building event on the role of Decentralization in achieving Transparency, Accountability and Political Participation, 26-28 January 2020, Al-Zarwaa, Jordan

• Capacity building event on the role of Decentralization in achieving Transparency, Accountability and Political Participation, 14-16 January 2020, Madaba, Jordan

• Conference on citizen charters and quality of public services, 26 November 2019, Tunis, Tunisia

• National conference on public service-citizen interface at local level, 25 March 2019, Tunis, Tunisia

Publications

Open Government in Salé, Morocco	Engaging Citizens in Jordan's Local Government Needs Assessment Process
Supporting Open Government at the Local Level in Jordan	Bonne Gouvernance au Niveau Local
Open Government in Tunisia: La Marsa, Sayada and Sfax - en